


Caged

by hope_calaris



Series: The Road to Hell (is Paved With Good Intentions) [26]
Category: The Tomorrow People (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 04:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1076682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope_calaris/pseuds/hope_calaris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedikiah visits John in his cell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caged

**Author's Note:**

  * For [uena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/uena/gifts).



> This is set sometime after John and Jedikiah's night together. I just had to write it down to deal with my feelings before the next episode airs. I fully expect this to be jossed then, but as with the whole series, we don't really care ^^. Enjoy!

  
_You're keeping secrets on your pillow_   
_Let me inside, no cause for alarm_   
_I promise tonight not to do no harm_   


\- Brandon Flowers

If anybody wonders why he leaves headquarters for about an hour and returns with a mysterious bag, no one dares to question him.

No one stops him when he walks into the restricted area either.

“Open the cell,” he bellows. “And shut off the recording.” The underling hurries to follow his orders and then Jedikiah steps into the cell holding John. It’s the moment his entire fierce, cold demeanor falls away from him like a mask he doesn’t need any longer.

“John,” he says quietly, almost tender and takes the few steps to the narrow cot where John unsuccessfully tried to curl into a ball. He looks awful, and despite already knowing it, it throws Jedikiah for a loop. He doesn’t want this: John hurt, John being kept in a cage like an animal, stripped of his powers.

He sits down, rather ungracefully, on the cold floor next to the cot and runs his hand through John’s dirty hair.

“Came here to gloat?” John asks, his voice hoarse and his eyes mere slits, watching Jedikiah’s every move, but he doesn’t sit up, just moves his head away from Jedikiah’s hand. Jedikiah wonders if he’s too hurt to move more, and he’s surprised by the wave of protectiveness he can feel rise in his chest at this thought.

“No, John,” he finally answers. “I wouldn’t do that. Not when you’re finally home.”

“It’s just another place to get hurt, not a home,” John objects.

“I regret that you got hurt, but it was the only way.”

“You could’ve let me go. After … _everything_ , you owe me that much.”

And maybe, Jedikiah thinks, John is right about this, but he never pretended to be a selfless man, and he wants John by his side; wants to make sure he’s alive and well. He doesn’t trust John’s little rat pack to take care of him. They’ve proven time and time again how stupid and reckless they are. Sometimes he wonders why John didn’t just up and left them to fend for themselves. Would serve them right.  

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he says and hesitates for a moment, wondering how to phrase his next question. “Are you hurt badly?”

“Why do you ask?” John wants to know and finally sits up to face Jedikiah head-on. It’s a visible struggle, and John pales under the strain. “You’ll kill me anyway.”

“Of course not,” he replies in shock and can’t stop from reaching out to John again. And once again John flinches away from him. It hurts Jedikiah more than it should.

“Then someone else will do your dirty work? _Again_?” John asks, disgusted.

“No, no killing. I wouldn’t … no, John,” Jedikiah says and shakes his head.

“Then what? What is your game here?”

“I want you to come back and work for me.”

“Excuse me? You can’t be serious.”

But he is, as serious as he ever gets. However, he also knows he can’t force John to do anything he doesn’t want to, not anymore. They’re past this point in their relationship.  “It’s that or we’ll strip you off your powers and let you live a human life,” he explains and isn’t in the least surprised by John’s shocked face. They both know what Jedikiah is really offering here.

“But the … Cara,” John whispers, disbelieving.

“Nothing’s proven yet, so I don’t feel like that’s information that should be passed on to everyone here at this moment.”

“Jed … ”

“I brought a blanket for you, the green one,” Jedikiah goes on like he never offered John an out of this whole mess and hands the blanket to John. He bought it way back, during the Annex days when it had become clear that the drug cocktail had thrown off John’s ability to properly regulate his body temperature.

“I … thanks,” John finally whispers and lets his hand linger on Jedikiah’s when he takes the blanket.

“And I’ll send a doctor in to look after you,” Jedikiah says with as even a tone he can muster. He knows it was a long shot trying to get John back, but he had to try.

Now he just has to figure out how to go on from here … and how to keep John alive in the process.

_\- fin_


End file.
